Williams will officially be introduced as the Hokies new coach Monday, but the deal was completed Friday.

Williams reportedly made $1.8 million last year at Marquette. He will make about $2.5 million a year at Virginia Tech as part of a seven-year, $18 million contract.

He is joining a team that struggles to compete in the powerful ACC.

Under Williams, Marquette made it to the NCAA tournament five times in six years, reaching two Sweet 16s and one Elite 8. They also won a share of the 2013 Big East title.

The Golden Eagles were just 17 and 15 in the new Big East this season and missed out on the postseason.

In a statement Williams said, "It's never easy to leave a great school like Marquette, where I spent seven wonderful years, six as the head coach, but this is a special situation to work at a place like Virginia Tech. I've heard tremendous things about this terrific institution and this is an outstanding opportunity to build a program."Williams informed his players of his decision to leave Marquette late Friday afternoon.

Williams will replace James Johnson, who was fired earlier in the month by new Athletic Director Whit Babcock.

“I am extremely excited about welcoming Buzz Williams to the Hokie Nation. Buzz is a proven winner who has earned his way up through the ranks with a strong track record of success. I am confident he will energize our fan base and help make Virginia Tech Basketball competitive in the Atlantic Coast Conference. I know he will recruit at the highest level," Babcock said in a news release.

"Buzz did a great job here. Al McGuire was the only one that had a better record in terms of postseason play and things like that. He, we played Marquette basketball, and we played very well," Marquette University interim Athletic Director Bill Cords said.

While Cords wished Williams well, the future of the Golden Eagles program and the Big East conference it plays in, remains very much in doubt.

Marquette students pointed to recent dissension in the Big East conference and disarray in the school's administration as signs there is a harsher reality ahead. But Cords remained steadfast, telling the team Friday, the next coach will uphold the tradition of Marquette basketball.

The university said a search has already begun in a search for a new head coach.

ESPN's Jeff Goodman, who broke the story of Williams leaving has five early potential candidates to replace him:

MARQUETTE CAMPUS--TREY, THE MARQUETTE PLAYERS WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO HEAR THE NEWS. TC 16:33:58 BUZZ DID A GREAT JOB HERE. AL MCGUIRE WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD A BETTER RECORD IN TERMS OF POSTSEASON PLAY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. HE, WE PLAYED MARQUETTE BASKETBALL AND WE PLAYED VERY WELL.

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